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THE  HOME  TEACHER  IN  CALIFORNIA 


ROBERT  FLOYD  GRAY 


[Reprinted  from  School  and  Society,  Vol.  XII.,  No.  303,  Pages  330-334,  October  16, 1920} 


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[Reprinttd  from  School  and  Society,  Vol.  XII. ,  No.  303,  Pages  330-334,  October  16, 1920] 


THE  HOME  TEACHER  IN  CALIFORNIA 


The  home  teacher  has  a  very  definite 
place  in  our  school  system  in  California. 
The  need  of  a  home  teacher  developed  as 
our  idea  of  the  unity  of  the  family  for 
educational  purposes  developed. 

In  the  earlier  days  of  immigration  to  this  coun- 
try we  assumed  that  our  only  care  was  the  moral 
and  mental  development  of  the  child  in  our 
schools.  We  little  realized  the  danger  of  having 
an  increasing  fraction  of  our  people  composed  of 
men  and  women  living  in  colonies  as  essentially 
foreign  as  the  countries  from  which  they  came, 
knowing  only  such  English  as  was  forced  on  them 
by  their  labor,  of  women  having  no  knowledge  of 
the  language  or  of  any  other  feature  of  the  new 
life,  timid  and  distrustful,  bewildered  by  losing 
their  old  surroundings,  and  dulled  by  failure  to 
understand  the  new.i 

But  our  earlier  conception  of  our  duty 
toward  the  child  has  undergone  a  change. 
Beginning  by  considering  only  the  mind,  we 
gradually  have  taken  into  consideration  the 
recreation  of  the  child,  his  health,  his 
home  life,  and  everything  about  him.  Now 
in  our  best  school  systems  we  have  the  baby 
in  the  nursery  while  the  mother  works,  the 
young  child  in  the  kindergarten,  and  the 
boy  who  has  finished  the  grade  school  may 
be  either  in  the  high  school  or  in  a  ''con- 
tinuation" school.  There  is  the  evening 
school  and  the  civic  center  for  the  father. 
All  have  been  reached  but  the  mother.  We 
perhaps  believed  her  hopeless.  Possibly 
we  thought  that  she  could  only  learn  by 

iMrs.  H.  K.  W.  Bent,  "A  Manual  for  Home 
Teachers,"  p.  7. 


asking  of  the  children  in  the  home.  But 
this  gave  rise  to  a  serious  problem. 

Children  who  have  acquired  our  ways 
and  customs  as  well  as  our  speech  believed 
themselves  superior  to  their  parents. 
They  questioned  the  authority  of  their 
parents,  thus  breaking  the  solidarity  of 
the  home  which  indeed  is  very  strong  in 
the  native  land  of  their  fathers.  It  has 
been  said  that  the  culture  of  any  nation 
may  be  measured  by  its  estimate  of  the 
family  and  that  which  tends  to  break  down 
the  respect  for  the  parents,  tends  to  root 
out  all  reverence. 

Seeing  the  child  of  the  foreign  born 
losing  all  respect  for  the  home,  for  law, 
and  the  right  of  others,  leaders  in  educa- 
tional thought  became  aroused.  Some- 
thing must  be  done  for  the  alien  woman 
who  must  be  with  her  children  at  night 
and  who,  although  ignorant,  could  vote  in 
some  states  by  virtue  of  her  husband 
having  become  naturalized.  Educators 
saw  that  since  she  could  not  come  to  the 
school,  the  school  must  go  to  her. 

At  first  teachers  visited  the  school 
neighborhood,  taking  up  various  problems 
in  connection  with  the  children.  This 
could  not  progress  to  a  very  great  extent 
but  the  idea  aroused  could  be  developed. 
This  idea  developed  into  the  realization  of 
the  need  of  a  woman  being  part  of  the 
school  to  visit  the  homes  and  give  the 
foreign   mother   what   she   wanted.     Thus 


A  A  4  o  C-  f? 

L:-.  it  it  Z  o  i 


2 


SCHOOL  AND  SOCIETY 


we  have  arrived  at  the  mothers'  special 
instructor,  the  home  teacher.  The  home 
teacher  thus  becomes  the  direct  American- 
izing influence  in  the  foreign  born. 

In  California  in  1915  the  "Home 
Teacher  Act"  was  passed.  The  law  itself 
was  draughted  and  proposed  by  the  State 
Commission  of  Immigration  and  Housing. 
It  was  endorsed  by  the  "Women's  Legisla- 
tive Council.  It  received  the  governor's 
signature  on  April  10  and  became  a  law 
on  August  8,  1915. 

California  has  by  no  means  invented,  as 
it  were,  this  visiting  teacher.     Large  east- 
ern cities  have  long  had  such  a  one  in  a 
modified    form.     Her    duties    there    have 
been  more  as  a  teacher  to  follow  up  prob- 
lems  of  discipline,   attendance,   and  sick- 
ness.    California  has,  however,  given  the 
movement  a  statewide  backing.     In  Cali- 
fornia the  work  is  not  so  much  with  the 
child   as   with   the   mother   of  the    child. 
The  home  teacher  being  employed  by  the 
people  and  not  by  a  private  philanthropic 
institution  lifts  her  work  from  the  level  of 
one  class  bestowing  kindness  upon  another 
to  that  level  of  communal  possession.     By 
the  operation  of  this  law  the  family  of  the 
alien  is  no  longer  divided  against  itself, 
but  becomes  a  worthy  unit  in  our  democ- 
racy. 

The  home  teacher  then,  in  California 
has  become  a  reality.  Her  work  is  highly 
specialized  and  therefore  requires  special 
qualifications.  She  must  clearly  and  thor- 
oughly understand  the  object  of  her  work. 
She  must  be  a  woman  of  patience,  of 
optimism,  and  of  an  ability  which  can 
turn  to  good  account  all  the  varying  cir- 
cumstances that  she  will  meet.  For,  in- 
deed, she  must  enter  the  foreign  homes 
and  try  to  modify  them  in  her  teaching  of 
health,  of  sanitation,  and  of  American 
customs  and  ideals.  She  must  ever  re- 
spect the  rights  and  dignity  of  the  alien 
woman  in  her  home.     Indeed,  unless  she 


can  be  a  friend  and  a  source  of  inspiration 
to  them,  she  should  not  enter  the  field. 

According  to  law,  she  must  have  a  kin- 
dergarten, an  elementary,  or  a  secondary 
certificate  to  teach  in  the  schools  of  Cali- 
fornia. But  in  addition  to  this  legal  re- 
quirement she  must  be  an  experienced 
teacher  possessing  good  health,  for  her 
work  is  most  strenuous. 

Another  qualification  of  the  home 
teacher  is  the  ability  to  speak  the  lan- 
guage of  the  largest  group  of  her  district. 
This  offers  many  times  an  open  door  into 
the  family.  However,  there  are  very  suc- 
cessful women  in  this  work  who  do  not 
speak  any  foreign  language.  In  gaining 
her  entrance  to  the  home  she  must  use  a 
great  deal  of  tact  and  ingenuity.  She 
must  also  adapt  all  circumstances  to  the 
main  purpose. 

She  must  be  a  woman  who  is  incapable 
of  discouragement  for  her  road  is  a  hard 
and  weary  one  indeed.     Most  of  all  she 
must  have  a  sympathetic  attitude  toward 
the  alien,  which  attitude  does  not  take  on 
the  form  of  pity.     She  must  know  some- 
thing of  the  countries  and  the  conditions 
from    which   the    alien    came.     She   must 
know  what  this  country  has  meant  to  him. 
With  these  qualifications  in  mind,  the 
next  problem  is  how  to  secure  the  home 
teacher.     There  is  no  regular  training  of 
home   teachers   in   the   normal   schools   in 
California.     Therefore     each     community 
had  to  develop  its  own  system  of  training. 
Many  cities  began  this  training  by  estab- 
lishing institutes  and  home  teacher  semi- 
nars.    Most    of    the    leading    universities 
have  been  giving  extension  work  in  this 
field  or  have  been  offering  summer  courses. 
The  two  most  important  features  of  the 
home  teacher's  work  are  her  own  qualifi- 
cations and  her  method.     By  using  a  work- 
able and  successful  method  she  best  per- 
forms her  function  in  connection  with  both 
the  day  and  evening  schools  and  with  the 


SCHOOL  AND  SOCIETY 


home  and  neighborhood  classes.  Her  en- 
trance to  the  home  can  best  be  made  in  the 
language  of  that  home,  for  perhaps  their 
very  elemental  knowledge  of  English  will 
be  far  too  meager  for  the  intimate  and 
personal  contact  needed.  From  the  home 
the  teacher  recruits  both  her  evening  citi- 
zenship classes  for  men  and  her  neighbor- 
hood afternoon  classes  for  women.  Her 
group  work  in  neighborhood  classes  is, 
then,  the  first  means  of  breaking  up  the 
isolation  of  the  foreign  home  and  the 
beginning  of  some  social  contact  for  the 
foreign  woman. 

In  recruiting  the  afternoon  group  the 
teacher  should  find  a  legitimate  excuse  for 
visiting  the  home.  This  can  well  be  done 
in  connection  with  some  phase  of  school 
work  in  the  district.  When  once  the 
friendly  relation  is  established  the  alien 
woman  should  be  invited  to  the  class.  Re- 
peated visits'  to  other  homes  will  increase 
the  group  as  well  as  will  urging  those  who 
do  come  to  bring  a  friend.  When  once 
the  class  is  formed  the  home  teacher  should 
make  every  effort  to  have  the  meeting 
place  as  attractive  as  possible.  Thus 
many  suggestions  will  be  conveyed  to 
these  women  for  improving  their  own 
homes.  Every  encouragement  should  be 
given  for  the  imitation  of  pleasant  and 
wholesome  things.  Everything  should  be 
done  also  for  the  recreation  of  these 
women  whose  lives  are  often  dull  and 
devoid  of  that  satisfaction  of  the  social 
instinct. 

Although  the  work  in  the  individual 
homes  comes  first  yet  their  are  many  ad- 
vantages of  group  teaching.  Much  time 
needed  can  be  conserved  and  later  devoted 
to  their  individual  needs.  Furthermore, 
there  is  that  encouragement  in  numbers 
that  is  not  secured  in  the  home  itself  where 
there  is  likelihood  of  embarrassment. 
Then,  too,  there  is  more  enthusiasm  with 
concert    work.     The    woman    away    from 


home  also  has  the  advantage  of  seeing 
different  and  better  things. 

In  these  neighborhood  classes  the  teach- 
ing of  English  is  only  one  phase  of  the 
work  of  the  home  teacher.  In  her  double 
activity  of  home  visiting  and  group  teach- 
ing she  can  be  of  service  to  the  alien 
woman  in  many  ways.  In  the  group  teach- 
ing of  English  such  subjects  as  sewing, 
cooking,  weaving,  arts  and  crafts,  sanita- 
tion, care  of  the  baby,  and  health  may  be 
taught.  It  may  be  necessary  in  some  cases 
to  get  the  assistance  of  special  teachers  in 
these  fields.  Each  locality  has  its  special 
problems  and  each  home  teacher  must  rise 
to  the  situation  found  in  her  district. 

In  status  the  home  teacher  bears  the 
same  relation  to  the  principal  as  do  all 
supervisors  of  special  work  in  his  district. 
Therefore  she  should  look  to  him  as  her 
immediate  superior.  Her  work  will  then 
fall  into  two  divisions,  home  visiting  and 
group  teaching.  To  work  in  close  co- 
operation with  the  school  she  should  begin 
her  day  by  reporting  at  the  school  at  nine 
o'clock.  She  can  then  confer  with  the 
principal  and  teachers  concerning  any 
special  children  whose  homes  need  visiting 
for  various  reasons.  Thus  going  with  a 
definite  reason  as  one  of  the  school  depart- 
ment she  can  secure  a  ready  admittance 
into  the  home.  The  forenoon  should  be 
passed  in  making  visits.  These  should  not 
be  hurried,  for  being  thus  initiated  into 
the  home,  the  home  teacher  should  be 
ready  to  hear  all  the  problems  and  diffi- 
culties, even  though  one  visit  should  take 
all  the  morning.  The  teacher  "like  the 
family  doctor  and  pastor  should  be  the 
real  and  intimate  possession  of  the  home." 

In  her  work  of  social  reconstruction  of 
the  family  if  it  be  necessary  she  should 
call  to  her  aid  the  various  ameliorative 
agencies  of  the  community.  In  matters  of 
juvenile  difficulties  which  she  is  trying  to 


SCHOOL  AND  SOCIETY 


settle  out  of  court  she  should  give  her 
undivided  attention. 

The  groups  for  teaching  English  should 
be  held  in  the  afternoons.  If  possible  this 
should  be  done  in  a  "school  cottage"  which 
can  be  used  for  domestic  science  classes 
in  the  morning  and  which  can  be  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  teacher  in  the  afternoon. 

It  would  be  unreasonable  to  expect  a 
home  teacher  to  do  good  work  without 
adequate  equipment.  The  first  essential, 
then,  is  a  school  principal  thoroughly  in 
sympathy  with  the  plan  and  ready  to  co- 
operate. Suitable  rooms  furnished  for 
sewing  and  for  cooking  as  well  as  for 
teaching  English  and  citizenship  should  of 
course  be  included  in  the  equipment. 
Some  provision  should  also  be  made  for 
the  care  of  babies  as  well  as  children. 
Charts,  pictures,  and  cards  as  well  as 
books,  leaflets,  papers,  materials,  and 
pencils. 

The  work  of  the  home  teacher  needs  the 
cooperation  of  agencies  from  outside  the 
school  department  as  well  as  from  within. 
There  are  agencies  which  have  long  been 
doing  pioneer  work  in  the  field  of  home 
service,  proving  its  value,  as  almost  all 
work  must  be  proved  by  private  initiative. 
Such  agencies  are  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A,  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women, 
the  D.  A.  R.,  the  Mother's  Congress  and 
Parent-Teacher  Associations,  city  nurses, 
school  nurses,  charities,  probation  officers, 
playgrounds,  settlements,  missions,  priests, 


clergymen,  librarians,  editors,  counsels, 
and  the  Commission  of  Housing  and  Im- 
migration. 

Since  the  home-teacher  work  is  merely 
in  its  infancy  much  remains  to  be  done. 
It  must  fight  for  its  place  in  the  schools 
as  did  the  kindergarten  and  even  cooking. 
No  definite  plans  can  be  set  down.  Each 
teacher,  I  repeat,  must  deal  with  the  in- 
trinsic and  positive  difficulties  in  her  own 
way.  But  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  of 
pioneer  work  in  this  field  some  tangible 
results  can  be  expected.  These  will 
neither  be  swift  nor  spectacular  but  they 
will  be  in  wholesome  directions  and  will 
be  results  which  can  not  be  secured  in  any 
other  way.  Among  these  results  is  the 
restored  balance  of  the  family  with  its 
control  again  in  the  hands  of  the  parents 
as  it  is  in  the  native  land  of  the  alien. 
The  work  will  bring  a  more  enlightened 
response  to  the  demands  of  society  as  well 
as  establish  better  standards  of  sanitation 
and  health  in  the  alien  neighborhoods. 
To  many  will  come  a  better  understanding 
of  what  "America"  means  and  a  broader 
horizon  of  life.  To  us  native  Americans, 
too,  will  eventually  come  a  fund  of  knowl- 
edge concerning  the  foreign  born  and  a 
"channel  for  what  he  and  his  civilization 
have  to  offer  us." 

Robert  Floyd  Gray 

Americanization  Department, 
Alameda.  California 


.„k,     riBCULATlON  DEPARTMENT 

LOAtTPERiODTlT" 
HOME  USE 


FORM  NO.  DD6, 


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